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WOMEN!
Called To Be Fathers
of the Gospel
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Published by Roger & Eileen Himes
Fathers of the Gospel
Website: www.ThePracticalGospel.com
Index to all ministries: www.TheGospelCoach.blogspot.com
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(Part 1)
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WOMEN FATHERS?
+It seems like a contradiction to refer to 'women' and 'fathers.' But this is only true naturally, in our 3-D world where everything is only seen in a limited dimension. We only see physical things, or what Paul calls natural things. We reason with man's wisdom. We see with human eyes -- most often walking by sight, not by faith. We live by reward v. punishment, and in cause and effect. Spiritually, all of us belong in a slower group -- at best.
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The truth is women often make better 'fathers' than men do.
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Men have a 'ruler mentality,' while women have more of a 'relationship mentality.' Genesis 3:16 shows us this. It has been this way ever since the Garden of Eden. Isn't it true that the church is male dominated today, -- mostly ruled by men? Yet Paul says in Galatians 3:16 that men and women are equal in Christ.
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This is what we love about the gospel of the finished work of Christ: it levels the playing field. It makes us all equal. Paul says he knows NO man after the flesh, and we shouldn't either. We are all ONE in Christ Jesus: both men and women.
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ONLY GOD MATTERS
+In the gospel, sex doesn't matter. God doesn't care if you are a man or woman, -- or if you are tall, skinny, short, or plump. He only cares about your heart, as The Parable of the Sower Shows. David was a man after God's own heart. He looks for similar hearts.
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In the gospel, age doesn't matter because the gospel comes by revelation from God (Rom 1:16). Anyone can receive revelation from God if their lungs are still sucking air -- whether they are 13 or 103. Paul told Timothy not to allow anyone to depise his age. Some say Timothy was only about 16 when he started working with Paul in the gospel.
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In the gospel, education doesn't matter either. God doesn't care if you're a high school drop-out, or if you have a string of letters after your name. In fact, if you're a high school drop-out, the gospel may come easier than if you have a string of letters. Often, the more educated we are, the more complicated our thinking gets, and the harder the gospel is to grasp because it is founded in the SIMPLICITY of Christ (II Cor 11:3). Roger has JD and LPC degrees -- he can testify to this. And don't forget, we're told both John and Peter were unlearned, ignorant men (Acts 4:13).
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In the gospel, it doesn't matter if we're men or women, what race we are, how old we are, how educated we are, -- or anything else. It only cares about our HEART condition: how teachable we are -- how receptive we are -- how responsive we are.
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Only man's theology places MEN on the top of the religious totem-pole! In God's gospel, there is no pecking order -- no human superiority -- no status. Yes, there is order and structure, which we must all submit to if we are going to particate in a functioning body of people. We don't want to be guilty of a Book of Judges condemnation: "Everyone did what seemed right in his own eyes."
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There are pastors... teachers... prophets... evangelists... workers of miracles... etc. Hebrews says we are to pray and submit to those who have the 'rule' over us. But Jesus says the only way to rule and be in authority in his Kingdom is to be the servant of all. The top ministers don't occupy the seats of honor topside on a boat -- they are rowers in the bottom of the boat! James says to be very cautious calling yourself a leader.
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Sadly, too many churches are established in man's theology, not in the gospel.
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FATHERS OF THE GOSPEL
+It is in I Corinthians 4:15 that Paul talks about 'fathers of the gospel.' He says, "For though you have 10,000 instructors in Christ, you do not have many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you in the gospel." Paul says that, by means of the gospel, he conceived us: he caused us to be born. A father of the gospel has a very unique role as opposed to an 'instructor in Christ,' of which there are 10,000 by comparison. You will see this in these series of articles.
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An instructor in Christ is focused on instructing others. The message is often, "How To Be More Like God." This message goes back to the Garden of Eden where Eve was tempted by Satan: "You shall be like God." It's a message born out of not knowing who we are in God because of Christ's finished work. It's not a gospel message. It's more instructional: how to live by rules, laws, precepts, principles, strategies, methodologies and systems. These messages are most often generated by people with initials behind their name.
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Living by PRECEPTS will always keep you from experiencing the PERSON of God. Fathers of the gospel connect us with the presence of our Abba Father. And they help us experience our childhood -- and our sonship (a non-sexual term).
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Both Jesus and Paul used the term 'Abba Father.' This denotes agape love and intimacy, but also awesome respect and reverance. The word Abba denotes an unreasoned expression of trust, love, dependency, confidence, and submission from a child. The word Father denotes a reasoned appreciation, honor and esteem from a son or daughter. We will always be both children -- and sons and daughters of our 'Papa' (the Jewish familiar name). FATHERS OF THE GOSPEL lead us unto the reality of this experience.
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APOLLOS, PRISCILLA AND AQUILA
(Acts 18:24-28)
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Let's close this first article looking at this marvelous story. Apollos was a fantastic preacher. He could shake the walls and raise the roof. The Bible is quite complimetary to him. It says he was eloquent, mighty in the scriptures, instructed in the way of the Lord, fervent and spirit, and he taught diligently and accurately. He was a preacher to be reckoned with.
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But we are also told he only knew 'the baptism of John.' You see, John was from the old school. He only knew one sermon: "Repent from sin" (Mark 1:4). He had no clue of the gospel Jesus came to bring, -- that became his first sermon and command: "The time is fulfilled and the Kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe the gospel" (Mark 1:15).
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But Priscilla and Acquila, a woman and her husband, did know the gospel. You see, they'd been trained by Paul. Elsewhere, Paul commends them and sings their praises. Paul had 'begotten them in the gospel.' He was their father in the gospel, as we saw (I Cor 4:15).
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Priscilla and Acquila could tell that Apollos just didn't get it!
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Here was a great dynamic preacher who could cause you to believe almost anything -- whether true of false -- and he didn't know the gospel. He was stuck in a religious pot-hole. He preached Bible things that were TRUE, but he did not know gospel TRUTH. So, Priscilla and Acquila took him aside and had a little heart-to-heart talk with him. We're told that they shared with him 'the way of God more accurately.' They opened his blind eyes. They unstopped his ears. They did spiritual surgery on the man.
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And we're told Apollos accepted it. He was teachable. He had a wide-open heart. He was receptive to the gospel. As Jesus says in The Parable of the Sower, he had a good, cultivated heart and their message went deep into him. He was a man after God's heart. Plus, we're told he on to 'greatly help those who had believed through grace.' Many of these were gospel believers before he was -- and he even helped them. He became on fire for the gospel.
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WOMEN. . . FATHERS
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Priscilla was a woman. There were other women Paul commended, some in Romans 16. We sometimes have a wrong opinion of Paul. We think he was a chauvenist who was a ruler, not a relater. This isn't true. Paul was caught in a tug-of-war between OLD Jewish thinking and NEW gospel thinking.
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He had some people of his day ready to worship him as a god -- and others who were ready to stone him to death. He walked a thin line trying to keep peace between a religious tradition that had existed for over 2,000 years -- and 'the gospel reformation' (Heb 9:10).
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Like Jesus, he wore two hats -- I like to say a black hat and a white hat. Like Jesus, he wore the black hat when he preached the law, and the white hat when he preached the gospel. (Don't you wish it was really that easy?) But he was also quick to point out what he was doing, and to whom he was preaching. We often don't see this, and we get confused.
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It was the same with Jesus! On one hand he preached about love and grace and peace and joy and righteousness. In the next breath he was saying, "If your hand offends, cut it off! -- If your eye offends, pluck it out! -- If you look at a woman in lust, you've committed adultery in your heart! -- Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect."
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We must understand their position when they were preaching!
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He was appointed to both confirm and defend the gospel (Phil 1:7). It was the new dispensation given to him for us (Eph 3:1-3). He alone was entrusted with the gospel (I Tim 1:11). He wasn't against women, but very much for them.
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Some thing he said, in traditional church services, reflected the social inclination of the times he lived in. He spoke about the conduct and relationship of women and men, as well as many other conducts. We do the same thing today in our church services!
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But Paul greatly encouraged women, including them as FATHERS OF THE GOSPEL. We're going to look at many of these encouragments and affirmations in up-coming articles.
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Next, read part 2 in this series at:
